Progress Theatre is a local theatre company at

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

in England. It is a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

and it is a member of the Little Theatre Guild (LTG) and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). ProgressTheatre

History

Progress Theatre was established in 1946 with the aim of presenting new and challenging work. Its first production was staged in 1947 in Palmer Hall, West Street, Reading. It moved to its present location, The Mildmay Hall, The Mount (near

Reading University The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

) in 1951. In 1964, after a fund raising campaign, the freehold of the building was bought. After modernisation, the theatre now seats 97 people.

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh ( ; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. List of award ...

, who was a member of the theatre in the late 1970s, became Progress Theatre

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

in 2011.

Educational role

In the 1950s a Student Group for 14- to 18-year-olds was set up. A charitable organisation, "The Progress Theatre" was established in 1962 with the object of promoting education in performing arts in Reading and the surrounding area. Since 2009, the Progress Youth Theatre consists of two groups for 15- to 18-year-olds and groups for school years 4 to 6 (ages 8 to 11), 7 to 8 (ages 11 to 13) and 9 to 10 (ages 13 to 15). The groups give a public performance each year.

Present day

The theatre has a membership of around 150 people and puts on a regular menu of classic and contemporary theatre. All of these productions are managed by volunteers. The theatre also stages a summer open-air event, predominantly a Shakespeare play, at the historic and newly renovated ruins of Reading Abbey. These productions are managed in partnership with Reading Borough Council. In 2007, the event was expanded to form the Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival. Due to the ongoing restoration of the abbey, in 2011 the event temporarily moved to the gardens of Caversham Court, the site of a Tudor manor house on the banks of the River Thames. However, it returned to Reading Abbey Ruins in 2018, following the completion of the renovations, and continued to perform from this beautiful location.

Past productions

Progress has presented contemporary plays since its founding and the first performances in England of '' The Good Woman of Setzuan'' by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

and '' The Shadow of a Gunman'' by Seán O'Casey were produced at the theatre in 1952 and 1958 respectively. More recently, Progress has produced a series of Christmas shows based on popular children's books including: *'' Mort'' by

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

(adap.

Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs (born 1951) is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy '' Discworld''. '' The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'', the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett a ...

) in 1997–1998 *'' James and the Giant Peach'' by

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

in 2005–2006, using an adaptation by David Wood usually available only to professional productions. Recent years have also seen productions of notorious plays such as '' Blasted'' by

Sarah Kane Sarah Kane (3 February 1971 – 20 February 1999) was an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. She is known for her plays that deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture—both physical and psychological ...

, while the yearly open-air Shakespeare season continues to prove popular.

Past seasons

Famous members

*Sir

made his earliest theatre appearances with Progress Theatre in the 1970s, including one minor role as "second policeman" and is the theatre's

. *Dame

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

is currently the patron of the Friends of Progress Theatre. *

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...

, a pop singer and actress, was a member of the Theatre's Student Group in the early 1960s. * Gerard Johnson, a British keyboard player, was also a member of the Theatre's Student Group between 1976 and 1981. * Peter Strickland, director and screenwriter of

Berberian Sound Studio ''Berberian Sound Studio'' is a 2012 British psychological horror film. It is the second feature film by British director and screenwriter Peter Strickland. The film, which stars Toby Jones, is set in a 1970s Italian horror film studio. Plot B ...

. * Elize du Toit, an actress who has appeared in

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...

and

Skyfall ''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy thriller film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, ...

. *

Brendan Patricks Brendan Patricks (born 3 December 1980) is a British actor and London magician from Reading, England. He is well known for playing the role of Evelyn Napier in ''Downton Abbey'' as well as playing other significant roles TV series including '' ...

, a London-based magician and actor from

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...

Notes

A. ''My Voice(s)'', a piece of new writing featured in the First Write Fest, was subsequently developed and performed at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringebr>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9NzMer9tf

References

External links

Progress Theatre website
{{coord, 51, 26, 39.9, N, 0, 57, 28.12, W, region:GB, display=title Arts organizations established in 1946 Amateur theatre companies in England Organisations based in Berkshire Culture in Reading, Berkshire Theatres in Berkshire Buildings and structures in Reading, Berkshire Charities based in Berkshire Community theatre Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain